Apparatus for depositing open fibrous material in spinning plants



Nov. 19, 1963 v R. BINDER ETAL 3,111,348

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING OPEN FIBROUS MATERIAL IN SPINNING PLANTS Filed Nov. 21} 1960 2 sheets-sh et 1 INVENTORS. 1 7 0 CL F B/ NDE/P. By PAUL 57-51154;

1477' R/VEX Nov. 19, 1963 R. BINDER ETAL 3,111,343

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING OPEN F IBROUS MATERIAL IN SPINNING PLANTS Filed Nov. 21. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5 E

Fig.4

a INVEN T 0R5. 1 70 0/. F BINDER. y PAUL .5 7351-15..

United States Patent ce ,l11,348 APPARATUS FOR DEPUSITING OPEN FEROUS MATE IN PlNNlNG PLANTS Rolf Binder, Winterthur, and Paul Stiiheii, Wailisellen, Switzerland, assignors to Actiengesellschaft .loh. Jacob Rieter & Cie, Winterthur, Switzeriand, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Nov. 21, 196i}, Ser. No. 70,666 Claims priority, application Switzeriand Nov. 20, 195% 7 Claims. (Cl. 392-59) The present invention relates to an apparatus and more particularly to a shaft for depositing open fibrous material or tufts as are worked in spinning plants.

Pneumatically fed fibre flake depositing shafts or hoppers are known which include a screening drum which is located on top of the shaft. These arrangements are complicated and expensive. The screening drum adversely affects the deposition of the fuzz in the shaft, because the air is laterally removed from the drum and does not flow into the shaft so that irregular depositions Occur at the sides of the shaft which may have to be equalized by mechanical means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus including a shaft or hopper for receiving fibrous material wherein the material is equally and regularly deposited and which includes means for removing air which is used for transporting the fibrous material into the shaft. No additional apparatus, such as screening drums for separating the air from the fibres are required. The shaft or hopper according to the invention includes a stationary, perforated wall placed between two lateral walls. A rear wall located opposite the perforated wall is movably arranged between the lateral walls for changing the distance between the perforated wall and the rear wall and, consequently, the cross section of the shaft. The outside of the perforated wall is provided with flaps arranged in Venetian blind fashion and individually swingable away from the perforated wall portion for providing outlet passages for the air. A pair of delivery rolls is placed at the bottom of the shaft for emoving the material accumulated in the shaft.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectionfl view of a modified detail of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram of an electric system for controlling the operation of an electric motor for adjusting the speed of a motor controlling the supply of fibrous material to the aparatus shown in FIG. 1 in dependence on the position of flaps forming part of said apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic part sectional elevation of machinery supplying open fibrous material to the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, numeral 1 designates a shaft for depositing fibrous material and including a stationary, perforated wall 2 placed between lateral walls 3. A rear wall 4, parallel to the perforated wall, is movably placed between the lateral walls 3. The top of the shaft 1 is closed by a cover 5, an inlet duct 6 being connected to the upper portion of the shaft for pneumatically supplying open fibrous materials from a source, for example,

3,lll,348 i Patented Nov. 19, 1963 an opener schematically shown in FIG. 5. Delivery or discharge rolls 7 and 8 are located at the bottom of the shaft, the roll 8 being connected by a chain 9 to a motor 16 for driving the roll A guide plate having a horizontal portion and an inclined portion 11 placed adjacent to the roll 8 receives and guides the lap formed by the rolls 7 and 8.

The position of the rear wall 4 can be changed by manipulating a lever 13 which is fast on a shaft 14 supported by the lateral walls 3. The lower part of the wall 4 is supported by a bracket 16 rigidly connected to the wall 4 and pivoted to an arm 15 which is rigidly connected to the shaft 14. A like support mechanism is provided at the top of the wall 4 and connected to the shaft 14 by a linkage 17. The lateral edges of the wall 4 are provided with conventional sealing strips 18 engaging the walls 3.

A plurality of superimposed flaps 19 are provided in front of and adjacent to the perforated walls 2, each flap being swingably hung on 'a horizontal rod 20 supported by the walls 3. The lower edges of the flaps 19 are bent over and upward so that the lower end of each flap which is adjacent to the support rod 20 of the flap below, has a U-shaped cross sectional configuration. Weights 22 provided with hooks 23 which extend over the outer leg of the U are hung on the flaps 19 to maintain the flaps in a downward position wherein the flaps prevent flow of air through the perforated wall. The weights 22 or their numbers increase With increased elevation of the flaps. A sealing strip 24, preferably made of rubber, is applied to the lower part of each flap which abuts against the upper part of the flap below. The sealing strips 24 prevent undesired escape of air.

The flaps may be made of flexible and elastic material and inserted into slots in rods 25, as shown in FIG. 3, which are rigidly connected to the lateral walls 3. The insides of the lower marginal portions of these elastic flaps are provided with sealing strips corresponding to the sealing strips 24 shown in FIG. 1. Materials are preferably chosen for the flaps 26 which require a relatively small force for bending out the lowermost flap and require a greater force for equally bending out the flap above the lowermost flap, the resistance to flexing of the flaps increasing with increasing elevation of the flaps. This result can be obtained, for example, by increasing the thickness of the flaps. The effect of this arrangement is consecutive opening of the flaps by the air escaping through the perforations of the wall 2 whereby the lowermost flap opens first and the uppermost flap opens last.

Limit switches 27 and 28 are provided adjacent to the two uppermost flaps 1? to be operated upon clockwise swinging of the upper flaps. The limit switches control the operation of a motor 2% (FIGS. 4 and 5) regulating, for example, the position of the brushes and thereby the speed of a commutator motor 29 driving a machine delivering flakes into the duct 6. The motor 29 is connected to an electric power supply by means of a relay 30 or 31. The relays 30 and 31 include solenoids 32 and 33, respectively, which form, together with time-delay relays 34 and 35 and switches 27, 28, a control circuit which is energized by connection to a neutral wire 0 and a. phase T. The solid line representation of the limit switches 27 and 28 indicates the rest position in which they are not actuated by the respective flaps.

The system operates as follows:

The open fibre material which is pneumatically transported through the inlet duct 6 is received in the shaft 1 and deposited at the bottom thereof, because the transporting air escapes between the lowermost flaps 19 which offer least resistance to the air pressure in the shaft and are most easily swung outward. When enough flakes have been deposited in the bottom of the shaft to prevent action of air pressure on the lowermost flap, the latter swings back to its closed position. Thereupon the second flap from the bottom is opened until the material in the shaft rises above the elevation of the second flap. Upon closing of the second flap, the third flap opens, and so on. This gradual filling of the shaft prevents premature coverage of the perforations in the wall 2 and clogging of the shaft.

During normal operation, when the accumulation in the shaft 1 is about as high as the third flap from the top of the shaft, air pressure tends to open the second flap counted from the top of the shaft whereby the switch 28 is opened, the solenoids 32 and 33 are deenergized, and the motor 29 stands still. If the top of the accumulation in the shaft 1 drops below the third flap from top, the second flap closes whereby the switch 28 is closed. The first flap from the top is in closed position and the switch 27 is in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. The solenoid 32 is energized, the switch 30 is closed, and the motor 29 operates to increase feed of fibrous material to the shaft -1. 'If the accumulation in the shaft becomes too high, the uppermost flap 19 is opened and the switch 27 is moved to the position indicated by a broken line in FIG. 4 so that the solenoid 33 is energized, the switch 31 is closed and the motor 29 operates to decrease supply of fibrous material to the shaft.

In each case the motor 29 operates only until the time of the time-delay relay 35 is up. Thereupon the timedelay relay 34 comes into action and prevents operation of the motor 29 for a period of time permitting waiting for the result of the last operation of the motor. =If the change of the feed of fibrous material effected by the last operation of the motor is insufficient, the relays 34 and 35 permit periodic passage of current and operation of the motor 29 in the desired direction until the accumulation in the shaft 1 reaches the desired height.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for depositing open fibrous material in a spinning plant comprising a shaft having two stationary lateral walls, a stationary perforated wfll placed between said lateral walls, a wall facing said perforated wall, a cover closing one end of the shaft, the other end of the shaft being open, means placed at the open end ofthe shaft for removing fibrous material accumulated in the shaft, a duct connected to the closed end of the shaft for pneumatically feeding fibrous material into the shaft, and flaps swingably connected to said lateral walls adjacent to the outside of said perforated wall, said flaps covering said perforated wall between the ends of said shaft and being adapted to be swung by the pressure of the air escaping through said perforated wall from a position wherein said flaps prevent how of air through said perforated wall to a position wherein said flaps permit flow of air through said perforated wall.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said flaps are in parallel relation and overlap each other.

'3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said flaps include means for increasing the resistance to swinging of the flaps to the position wherein said flaps permit flow of air through said perforated wall as the distance of the flaps from said open end increases.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for increasing the resistance to swinging the flaps consist of weights attached to the flaps.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said flaps are made of elastically flexible material and are flexed by the pressure of the air escaping through the perforated wall, the resistance of the flaps to flexing increasing with increasing distance of said flaps from said open end.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft is vertical and said open end is at the bottom, said flaps being swingable around horizontm axes and urged into closing position by their gravity, means connected to the individual flaps for supplementing the gravitational force of the flaps as their distance from said open end increases.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a first flap positioned relatively closest to the closed end of said shaft, a second flap adjacent to said first ilap and closer to the open end of said shaft than said first flap, control means for controlling the rate of feed of fibrous material into said shaft, actuating means individually connected to and responsive to the position of said first flap and of said second flap and connected to said control means for reducing the rate of feed of fibrous material into said shaft upon swinging of said first flap to the position wherein said first flap permits flow of air through said perforated wall, and for increasing the rate of feed upon swinging of said second flap to the position wherein said second flap prevents flow of air through said perforated Wall.

No references cited. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING OPEN FIBROUS MATERIAL IN A SPINNING PLANT COMPRISING A SHAFT HAVING TWO STATIONARY LATERAL WALLS, A STATIONARY PERFORATED WALL PLACED BETWEEN SAID LATERAL WALLS, A WALL FACING SAID PERFORATED WALL, A COVER CLOSING ONE END OF THE SHAFT, THE OTHER END OF THE SHAFT BEING OPEN, MEANS PLACED AT THE OPEN END OF THE SHAFT FOR REMOVING FIBROUS MATERIAL ACCUMULATED IN THE SHAFT, A DUCT CONNECTED TO THE CLOSED END OF THE SHAFT FOR PNEUMATICALLY FEEDING FIBROUS MATERIAL INTO THE SHAFT, AND FLAPS SWINGABLY CONNECTED TO SAID LATERAL WALLS ADJACENT TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID PERFORATED WALL, SAID FLAPS COVERING SAID PERFORATED WALL BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE SWUNG BY THE PRESSURE OF THE AIR ESCAPING THROUGH SAID PERFORATED WALL FROM A POSITION WHEREIN SAID FLAPS PREVENT FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID PERFORATED WALL TO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID FLAPS PERMIT FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID PERFORATED WALL. 